Fence-post brace.



A. w; HAMILTON & E. L. THOMPSON."

FENCE POST BBAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26, 1908.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

glmamtow THE mmms PETERS cu, wasnmcrou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS W. HAMILTON AND EARNEST L. THOMPSON, OF BLUFFTON, INDIANA.

FENCE-POST BRAOE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS W. TIAM- lLl'ON and EARNEST L. THOMPSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Bluffton, in the county ofWells and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fence-Post Braces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fence post braces, and has for its object theproduction of parts having special construction and particulararrangement for successfully Withstanding the pull to which a post issubjected in a wire fence, the post itself being to a certain extentbodily movable.

The stated object is accomplished by fashioning and associating theparts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1represents a side view of all the parts assembled. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the grooved seat for the lower end of the post, and shows onemanner of connecting the post seat with the concrete base. Fig. 8 is aside view of the lower end of the post. Fig. 1 is a vertical section ofportions of the post and base, and the post seat, the section beingtaken lengthwise of the groove of the post seat. Fig. 5 is a side Viewof all parts assembled similar to Fig. 1, but showing the tighteninglever raised whereby the strain is taken off all the parts.

Like reference letters are used to mark the same parts throughout thedescription and drawings.

The fence post A has its lower end a formed to correspond with theT-shaped lower end of the plate B, best shown in Fig. 3. The plate issecured to the post by bolts Z) and b and will be again mentioned. TheT-shaped ends of the post and.

plate engage the groove in the post seat C. The groove has the sameshape as the end of the post, and is referred to by the letter 0. Thepost seat C is a piece of cast metal having the form indicated in Figs.2 and 4:, and it is secured upon the top of the concrete base D, by thebolts 0 and 0 A set screw 0 passes through the end of the post seat intothe groove 0 as best shown in Fig. 41-, and the end of the set screwbears against the end of the plate B. Thus, it is thought to be nowclear that the plate B is intro duced to receive the thrust of the setscrew, which would otherwise injure the wooden post. Considering Fig. 1,it will nowbe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26,

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

1908. Serial No. 435,146.

I understood that the post may be bodily moved in the groove 0 in onedirection by the set screw, and in the opposite direction when desiredby hand. The direction in which the post is movable by means of the setscrew is that in which the groove 0 eX- tends. The weight of the postrests upon the upper surface of the seat C.

A plate E, shown in Figs. 1 and 5 as resting upon the ground, has a lugor abutment 6 projecting upwardly from it, and against the lug e isplaced one end of the inclined bar F. The other end of the bar engages anotch a near the top of post A. It will be here observed that theinclined bar F is in the position of the hypotenuse of a right angledtriangle of which the post and the ground line are the other sides.Therefore, the length of the bar F is greater than the distance from thelower end of the post to the lug c of the plate E measured along theground line.

The rods G and g are placed along the ground line, and they areconnected by the turnbuckle H. The end of rod G .is secured to the footof post A. The end of rod 9 is pivotally connected with the lever J, andthe lever is also pivotally connected with a link K that has a hook end70 by which the link is is usually constructed, the connection of rod 9and lever J is made above the connection between the link K and thelever. By reason of such construction, when the free end of lever J ispressed downwardly toward the plate E, the link is drawn upon in adirection from the plate and the rods G and g are drawn upon in adirection toward the plate and from post A with result ing stress orpull upon the rods and link, which through the plate E is communicatedto the inclined bar F forcing the bar against the upper end of post A,thereby resisting any contrary force exerted upon the post.

Considering Figs. 1 and 5 there will be observed vertically arrangednext to the post the two alined rods L and Z coupled by the turnbuckleM. The rod L has one end connected with the inclined bar F near the postA, and the rod Z has its lower end connected with the horizontal rod Gnear the foot of the post. The purpose of the vertical rods L and Z andthe turnbuckle M is set forth in the explanation of the operation ofthis invention which is the following: Let it be assumed that the leverJ is attached to the plate E. As this invention raised as illustrated inFig. 5. During that movement, the link K and the plate E are i movedtoward the right and the lug 0 leaves the lower end of the bar F asshown. All the parts are now released from stress, and each may ifdesired be removed. \Vhen the lever is again turned downwardly towardthe plate, the lug c of the plate is forced against the lower end of theinclined bar F and the upper end of the bar correspondingly supports thepost. Ordinarily, this force is sufficient to resist the usual strain towhich the post is subjected. But, possibly some subsequent added strainmay incline the post from the vertical in spite of the bracing given itby the horizontal rods G and g and link K acting upon the bar F throughthe plate E. It is now desired to restore the post to an exact verticalattitude and to counteract the added strain. To accomplish it, theturnbuckle M is operated to draw the ends of the vertical rods L and Ztoward each other. The upper end of the bar is drawn downwardly againstthe post and out of the very shallow notch a, which, in fact, is oftenomitted altogether, and the top of the post is in that way forced backinto the proper position. It has been found that greater force for ashort distance is exerted by operating the turnbuckle M than bysimilarly actuating the turnbuckle H.

It will be observed that the bracing eifect of the adjustable verticaland horizontal rods, and the inclined bar F, is to cause the post toassume a proper upright attitude, but the bracing will not exert anytightening action upon the fence. To tighten the fence or panel thereof,which is almost al- Ways necessary after the post has been bracedupright, as the bracing of the post is most readily done when there issome slackness of the fence or panel, the screw 0" is operated and thepost A moved bodily on the base D.

Having now described this invention and explained the mode of itsoperation, what we claim is- 1. In a fence post brace, the combinationwith a post, of means for bracing the post comprising the ground platehaving a lug, an inclined bar having one end against the lug and theother end against the upper part of the post, and adjustable horizontalrods extending between the said plate and post, a base, the said baseand the lower end of the post having mutually engaging devicesconstructed to receive and guide the end of the post, and means arrangedto act upon the said base and post and to move the post bodily sidewise.

2. The combination with a base, of a post, the said. post being arrangedto stand upon the base, devices attached to the post and to the base andarranged to engage each other and to retain and guide the end of thepost upon the base, means arranged to act simultaneously upon the baseand the end of the post upon the base to move the post sidewise, andbracing devices including a bar having one end resting against the topof the post, the said bar inclining downwardly to the ground, andadjustable connections joining the lower end of the bar and lower end ofthe post on the base.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUSTUS W. HAMILTON. EARNEST L. THOMPSON. \Vitnesses BI. A. STOUT,FREEMAN CARLISLE.

